The Ghost Breakers

"When the Ghost WALKS... They RUN!"

1940 1h 25m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 84

ComedyHorrorMystery

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After intrepid working girl Mary Carter becomes the new owner of a reputedly haunted mansion located off the Cuban coast, a stranger phones warning her to stay away from the castle. Undaunted, Mary sets sail for Cuba with a stowaway in her trunk—wise-cracking Larry Lawrence, a radio announcer who helps Mary get to the bottom of the voodoo magic, zombies and ghosts that supposedly curse the spooky estate.

“When the Ghost WALKS... They RUN!”

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Cast

Bob Hope
Larry Lawrence
Paulette Goddard
Mary Carter
Richard Carlson
Geoff Montgomery
Paul Lukas
Parada
Anthony Quinn
Ramon Mederes / Francisco Mederes
Willie Best
Alex
Pedro de Cordoba
Havez (as Pedro De Cordoba)
Virginia Brissac
Mother Zombie

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: George Marshall
Writers: Walter DeLeon
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

85 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

86 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by George Marshall, shot by Charles Lang. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ernst Toch. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Ellsworth Hoagland shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard and Richard Carlson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "When the Ghost WALKS... They RUN!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0032520 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

George Marshall directs. Charles Lang behind the camera. Ernst Toch scores. Ellsworth Hoagland cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

185 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
286 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by George Marshall, shot by Charles Lang. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Ernst Toch. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Ellsworth Hoagland shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard and Richard Carlson carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "When the Ghost WALKS... They RUN!".
8IMDB entry: tt0032520 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 84 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 13 themes, including "stowaway", "haunted house", "house", "inheritance".

The technical file

Cinematography: Charles Lang
Original score: Ernst Toch
Editing: Ellsworth Hoagland
Costume design: Edith Head
Runtime: 85 min · 1h 25m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Ghost Breakers (1940)

Also by

George Marshall

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2020-06-14
★ 8/10
You still there zomb? The Ghost Breakers is a sort of sequel to Paramount's 1939 hit "The Cat and the Canary", also starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard. Directed by George Marshall (who would direct the Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis 1958 remake, "Scared Stiff", as well) it's adapted by Walter DeLeon from the play "The Ghost Breaker" by Paul Dickey and Charles W. Goddard. The premise is simple, after mistakenly thinking he has shot a hoodlum type, Larry Lawrence (Hope) flees into another hotel room, that of Mary Carter (Goddard), who is packing for a trip to Cuba. Befriending her, it's not before long that Larry is on his way to Cuba as well, but Mary is under threat from shifty characters and to make matters worse, their destination castle is rumoured to be haunted and tales of zombies seem to carry some weight. Hope and Goddard really do have a rich chemistry here and the results are excellent to say the least. They would work again for a third time a year later in "Nothing But the Truth". But really it's with the writing that most credit is due here. Hope of course was an excellent deliverer of a line, but first you have to have quality lines to work from, and here with DeLeon's screenplay we get some delightful stuff for Hope to work with. From Basil Rathbone to sly political leg pulling, the gags come quick and fast and compliment the visual fun as Hope, Goddard and Willie Best are all aboard the fun creeper express. Charles Lang is on photography duties and captures the eerie atmosphere of the island perfectly, while a nod of approval should go to Edith Head for her costumes. Ultimately it's fun we want and fun we get, with a cowardly hero and a sexy leggy lady as our protagonists, one can only hope that the zombies don't get in the way too much. As either a stand alone movie or as a double bill with "The Cat And The Canary", "The Ghost Breakers" showcases a fine double act from a fine time in cinema history. Enjoy 7.5/10

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